Sanitary drinking-cup.



P. H. ELLSWORTH. SANITARY DRINKING CUP. APPQMTIOHHLD JULY11,1911 Y l ,023,998, Patented Apr.23, 1912.

Witnesses. ./EMZWWZ "Vfmor i' by. l

FRANK H. ELLSWORTH, OF BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN.

SANITARY DRINKING-CUP.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 19.12.

Application led J' u1y 11, 1911. Serial No. 637,960.

Tc aZ7 whom it may concer-n l Be 1t known that T, FRANK H. ELLswoRTH,

a citizen of the United States, residing at the city oi Benton Harbor, in the county of Berrien and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Sanitary Drinking- Qup, of which the following is a specificat1on.

This invention ,relates to drinking cups and particularly to sanitary drinking cups folded from blank paper.

The object o-f this invention is to provide a cup of this character which is folded from an approximately square piece of paper or other suitable material and which will retain its shape without the aid of clips or glue being used.

A further object is to providesuch a cup which upon being emptied can be compactly folded together for conveniently carrying the same or for incasing a number of such cups for storage or shipment, or for containing the same in a suitable vending machine. With 'the above and other objects in view this invention is embodied inthe novel formation of the cup from a blank of paper as hereinafter described reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which sim-l ilar reference characters indicate similar parts and in which,-

Figure l is a perspective of the completed cup. Fig. 2 is a l side elevation thereof. Fig.,3 is a plan 'view of the blank from which the cup is folded. Fig. 4: is a perspective of a cup being formed in a slightly modified manner.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the cupV or receptacle is formed from an approximately square sheet .of paper or suitable material as shown in Fig. 3 by a novel manner or method of folding the same. The blank is first folded on the diagonal line 5 extending across the opposite corners of the blank forming two triangular sections lying against each other and joined at their common hypotenuse. The respective corners lying at the end of the hypotenuseare then folded on the lines 6 and 6 over the opposite sides of the sections, which lines 6 and 6 start from the hypotenuse at points spaced from the center thereof and diverge to the sides of the sections, the outer edges of the said corners being brought into parallel relation with the intermediate portion of the hypotenuse vof line 5. The other corners 8 of the sections are then folded back over the respective portions 9 to retain same in position, which completes the cup. The cup istlien ready for use and forms a suitable container for water or other liquid, the ends of the sides of the cup having been pressed inwardly to cause th same to be opened as s hown in Fig. l. At the outer ends of the lines 6 are cut notches 11 which when the blank is folded form a slit between one of the upper corners of the sides l0.

The cup when formed provides two trapezoidal sides normally folded together and open at the longest of the parallel edges, with one of the upper corners being provided with a notch. The cup is opened by press-v ing the upper corners inwardly, which will cause the upper edges to be bowed upwardly at intermediate points, the respective end of the said edges lying in planes diverging inwardly from the upper corner. The notch which is provided in one of the upper corners extends below the plane of the corresponding end of the said edges when the sides are distended and permits the liquid to be poured from the cup withoutI running over the said end of the edges when the cup is tilted endwise.

This cup is very cheap to manufacture and when folded retains its shape without the necessity of clips`v glue or the like in connection with the same. It is generally the practice with cups of this character to discard the same after use, but if desired the same can be again folded by pressing the sides together for convenience in carrying the same. This of course is optional, the slight cost of the cup rendering it desirable to discard same after use.

ln'the modification shown in Fig. 4, one of the corners 8 is shown as being passed between the sections of corner 9, and when completed in this manner the cup retains its shape eiiiciently althoughit is slightly more work to completesame in this manner.

That is claimed as new is 1. A cup comprising two trapezoidal sides normally folded together and open at the ylongest. of the parallel edges so that when ends of the said edges when the sides are distended to permit the liquid to be poured from the cup without running over the said ends of the edges when the Cup is tiltedV endwise 2. A cup formed from an approximately square blank folded on a diagonal line across opposite corners, the Corners at the ends of the hypotenuse of the sections thus formed being folded inward, and the other corners of the said sections then being folded over the latter corners to provide two trapezoidal sides normally folded together and open at they longest of the parallel edges, so that when the upper corners are pressed inwardly the said edges will be bowed outwardly at intermediate points to open the cup, the respeetive ends of said edges lying in planes diverging inwardly from upper 'corners when t-he sides are distended, and one upper corner being provided with a notch eXtending below the plane of the corresponding ends of the said edges when the sides are distended topermit the liquid to be poured from the cup without running over the said ends of the edges when the cup is tilted endwise.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two wit-nesses.

FRANK l-I. ELLSWORTH. VVit-nesses HUMPHREY S. GRAY,l SUZANNE U. KELLEY. 

